Home appliance facts for kids
Home appliances are special machines that help us do jobs around the house. They can be powered by electricity or work mechanically. These helpful devices make tasks like cooking, cleaning, and keeping food fresh much easier.
Home appliances are usually put into three main groups:
- Major appliances, often called "white goods."
- Small appliances.
- Consumer electronics, sometimes called "brown goods."
Contents
What Are Home Appliances?
An "appliance" is a tool or device made for a specific job. So, a "home appliance" is a machine, usually electric, that you use in your home to help with daily tasks. This can include anything from a stove or refrigerator to a toaster or air conditioner. Even things like light bulbs and water well pumps can be considered home appliances!
How Home Appliances Changed History
People have used many types of tools for centuries. But self-contained electric or gas-powered appliances really started to become popular in the 1900s in America. These new machines appeared as fewer people had full-time domestic helpers. Families wanted to spend less time on chores and more time enjoying themselves.
In the early 1900s, electric and gas appliances included washing machines, water heaters, refrigerators, and sewing machines. A small electric clothes iron, invented in 1903, helped kick off the home appliance industry. After World War II, more people started using dishwashers and clothes dryers. This showed a desire for more convenience in homes. As families had more money to spend, they bought more of these helpful appliances.
In the 1980s, the appliance industry in America was huge. Companies made billions of dollars each year. Many companies merged or bought each other. This helped them lower costs and reduce competition. The United States Department of Energy also started requiring manufacturers to make appliances that used less energy. This was part of the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987.
By the 1990s, just a few big companies sold most of the appliances. For example, in 1991, a few companies like General Electric and Whirlpool sold almost all the dishwashers.
Major Home Appliances
Major appliances are also known as "white goods." These are the big machines in your home. They include things like air conditioners, dishwashers, clothes dryers, and freezers. Other examples are refrigerators, kitchen stoves, water heaters, and washing machines. You might also have a microwave oven or an induction cooker. Many of these appliances were traditionally painted white, and some still are!
Small Home Appliances
Small appliances are smaller electric machines that are also very useful. They are easy to move and set up. Many small appliances are used in the kitchen. These include juicers, electric mixers, coffee grinders, food processors, and electric kettles. You might also use a waffle iron, coffee maker, blender, or toaster.
Other small appliances are for entertainment and information. These are sometimes called "brown goods." They include TV sets, CD players, VCRs, and DVD players. Also in this group are camcorders, still cameras, clocks, computers, video game consoles, and telephones. They used to be made with wood or fake wood, which is why they got the name "brown goods."
Smart Home Appliances
There's a cool new trend where home appliances can connect to each other. This is part of something called the Internet of things. Imagine your washing machine talking to your oven! They could work together to save energy. For example, if the washing machine is running, the oven might wait a bit before starting.
Some appliances can even connect to the Internet. This lets you control them from far away using your phone! You can turn on your air conditioner before you get home or check if you left the oven on. This makes our homes even smarter and more convenient.
Recycling Old Appliances
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When home appliances break or get old, we can recycle them. Appliance recycling means taking apart old machines and reusing their parts. The main appliances that get recycled are TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, and computers.
Recycling involves carefully taking them apart. Workers remove any dangerous parts first. Then, the rest of the machine is broken down, often by shredding. The materials are then sorted and prepared to be used again. This helps protect our planet by reducing waste!
See also
In Spanish: Electrodoméstico para niños
